"Stupidity isn't a handicap. Get out of my damn seat."
Hero Richter, a witty and sarcastic wheelchair bound girl, has lived her whole life on the sidelines, watching other kids have fun and interact while she's cooped up at home alone. Despite her misfortunes, she still keeps her chin up, holding herself high and proud, not letting anyone run her over. Most importantly, she can never step away from a challenge.
Even if that challenge is the treacherous place called high school.
People can't help but stare, whispering about her a spreading rumors.
Naturally, Hero couldn't care less
And there's Max, the golden boy, and Hero's sworn enemy since her first day. Annoying Max is Hero's part-time job, and Max gladly returns the favor.
Max is the one guy who couldn't give a damn about her and her wheelchair. He doesn't stare at her like she's an alien, nor treat her like some delicate piece of China. Instead, He challenges her.
And Hero can't stop away from a challenge
***
Navigating high school is hard. Hero must fight to be heard. To be included. To clear stigma around what it's really like to be disabled, once and for all.
It won't be easy, but nothing is every easy for Hero.
Hero must face the harsh blows of reality. No matter how many people try to bring Hero down, she must continue to fight for what she wants, and maybe make an unexpected friend or two along the way?
What really defines us in the end? Is it our physical capabilities? Our appearance?
Even the most perfect people have a few impairments.
Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option.
*****
Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her...
Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault.
[[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]